Free Printable Murder Mystery Games, Detective Games

Do you love murder mysteries? Read detective novels? Do you love gathering clues, analyzing data, questioning suspects? If you love playing detective check out these links for free printable murder mystery downloads. Perfect for your next murder mystery weekend party!

Great educational activities for classroom and homeschool. Murder mystery and detective games help students learn problem-solving, deductive and inductive reasoning, distinguishing fact from opinion, categorizing details, gathering data, research and much more.   Click for murder mystery games and murder mystery party printables. For more free printable activities and free, safe online games visit me at www.freesafekidsgames.blogspot.com. Happy Sleuthing.

Adventure Mystery Book Series for Boys--The Three Investigators

Do you have trouble getting your son to read? Boys are more often reluctant readers than girls. I'm a teacher and it's not gender-biased to say that. So how to get them to develop a love of reading? Find books they like. Might I suggest, for tween boys mystery, action, adventure, horror, historical fiction, sci-fi, tech, graphic novels, how-to? Just make sure it isn't boring.

And get them hooked on a series. That will keep them coming back for more. Our family favorite is one I read as a kid in the early 1970s--The Three Investigators. Three boys, Pete, Jupe and Bob solve mysteries as a home business. Jupe's uncle owns a salvage yard (HOW cool is that?) In exchange for work, they get junk (a boy's dream come true!). Their office-workshop is a salvaged trailer buried under yard scrap (does it get any better?) Yep it does. It's equipped with dark room, laboratory, private phone, intercom, periscope, microfiche and other spy-fi 60s gadgets. It's only accessible by secret passages and code words. Now do I have your attention, gentlemen? Oh you want to know where to lay your hands on these tales? Read on!  Adventure Mystery Book Series for Tween Boys--The Three Investigators

Family Read-Aloud: Old Scholastic Classic Kids Books

I tend to look askance at most children's movies made in the last few years. Kids' books too, for that matter. I'm a bibliophile and have a collection of children's literature that exceeds 2,000 books. I haunt libraries, used book stores, Scholastic website. I'm admittedly fussy about quality literature for children. Much of what's coming out seems repetitive in theme: vampires, fantasy, Gothic--very Harry Potteresque. Some stories seem to be spun straight from others' in the genre.

Even realistic fiction has become banal and patronizing. Teen angst, new kid problems, bullying, family problems-- these serious get dumbed down often. They books read like they're written by adults trying to sound like kids. Family Read-Aloud: Old Scholastic Classic Kids Books 

Vampire, Horror Fiction Books for Twilight, Eclipse Lovers

Best Young Adult Vampire Fiction Books for Twilight and Eclipse Lovers Stephanie Meyer's didn't invent vampire romance fiction with her Twilight book series. Modern vampire fiction has enjoyed a cult following for several decades now. For fans of vampire fiction who've consumed Twilight looking for fresh reads, look here. Here are vampire books you can sink your teeth into. Vampire Plagues: Book One- London, 1850, Book Two- Paris, 1850, Book Three- Mexico 1850. History-mystery lovers will devour Sebastian Rooke's trilogy, set in the Victorian era. Middle School and up. Click for more recommendations...

Alfred Hitchcock Murder Mystery and Dark Literature

My 'Frenzy' for Alfred Hitchcock Movie Memorabilia Alfred Hitchcock reigns supreme as perfecter of the 'film noir' genre. Hitchcock isn't the only director to dabble in the dark "Psycho" drama, but he is "Notorious" for it. I have a predilection for Hitchcock memorabilia. A 'Frenzy' for it, if you will. (Shh- kids, don't tell mom and dad that you love Hitchcock for the spooky murder mysteries; tell them it's educational! Yo, Parents, c'mere. Don't tell the kids that Hitchcock is educational; just tell them he's downright scary!) Read More

Happy 120th Birthday, Agatha Christie!

Agatha Christie 120th Birthday: Happy Birthday Dame of Detection and Delicious Death Agatha Christie, DBE, CBE and dame of detective fiction was born on September 15, 1890. She would be 120 years old today. Outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare, author Agatha Christie's books on Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple enthrall mystery lovers. Read More

Medieval Mystery Books and Authors

Summer Recommended Reading: Medieval Mystery Books and Authors
With summer coming, it's time for bibliophiles to turn their thoughts toward recommended reading lists. Have you been immersed in required reading? Then you need some pleasure reads. How about medieval mysteries like these? Read More

Free printable lesson Plans from The Mysteries of Harris Burdic by Chris VanAllsburg

Inspire and Enthrall Students with The Mysteries of Harris Burdick
Want to go on an adventure with a book like none other? Run, don't walk to the library to get The Mysteries of Harris Burdick by Chris VanAllsburg (The Polar Express, Jumanji)! It reminds me of an M.C. Escher image in real life. This is the very best thing VanAllsburg has ever done and that's saying a lot! I introduced Harris Burdick to students in 1986--they were agog and couldn't put it down. We got some very inventive stories from those images. View more »

Murder Mystery Authors Like Agatha Christie

A Guide to Similar Authors for Agatha Christie Fans Do you love Dame Agatha Christie's vintage murder mysteries and whodunit? Need more Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, Harley Quinn? Here are 10 mystery authors whose work compares to Agatha Christie.In Great Britain, children often begin reading Agatha Christie at age 10! View more »

Twilight Saga: New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn

Breaking Dawn: Last of Stephanie Meyer's gothic vampire chronicles, Twilight Saga Release Breaking Dawn is the final book in the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer. Barnes and Noble Booksellers are hosting a party at midnight August 1, 2008 to celebrate Breaking Dawn's release.The party is over, but you can still enjoy Stephanie Myers Twilight series: Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn View more »